What Will Remain
by Teddy R. Lupin
Summary: Superman, the Man of Steel, has been killed by the monster Doomsday. But unknown to the whole world, his son is grieving. But no one can know, for it would risk his secret identity. Movie-verse, one-shot. References to the comics and older films.


This is a one-shot inspired by "The Life and Death of Superman", in the movie-verse form. Also slightly based on the "Superman: Doomsday" cartoon movie. It's from Jason's point of view. I just felt like writing a depressing fanfic, and I ended up with this in less than 45 minutes. I hope it makes sense, but...maybe it's a little vague. I did also get some of the ideas from Percy Jackson and the Olympians, if it sounds familiar. But anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

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I suppose you want to know why I ended up here. It's not every day that a fifteen-year-kid attends his father's funeral. Especially if that father was supposedly indestructible.

How would you feel if, all of a sudden, your perfect, storybook life comes to an end? How would you feel if you tried to go back and pretend that things were how they were before…but you know that nothing will ever be the same again? How would you feel if you think that you're more alone than ever, even when you have circles of friends and family surrounding you? But in my heart…I know I can never go back. Don't think I haven't tried. After losing everything…the ordinary, average life I'd always dreamed of having was taken away.

I've learned not to set too much in store by dreams. By hope. By belief. No matter what you're wishing for…whether it's for a new bike or for your grandma's health…there are some things that are just set in the stars. That are meant to happen. And humans can't change that. And as I've learned…neither can aliens. It is beyond anything you can imagine.

Are you sure you still want to hear my story? I don't think you know exactly what you're getting into.

My name is Jason Jonathan Kent. And this is the story that the world needs to hear.

My story starts on September 26, 2006. When a man named Clark Kent entered my life. I didn't know he would change my life. But after the whole incident with "New Krypton" and Lex Luthor, which I'm sure you know about already, it became clear. Superman was my father. _Clark Kent_ was my father. Not Richard White, who I had idolized as my own super man. My father. But all that was gone.

My mother, Lois Lane, fell right back in love with him. And it's not like I blame her. Who wouldn't? The guy had superstrength, superspeed, heat vision, X-ray vision, and the power of flight. I wasn't angry. Every kid in the _world_ wanted his dad to be like Superman. But my dad _was _Superman. I was ecstatic. But what those kids of the world didn't know is that he was more than just a superhero. He was a good man, and an amazing dad.

And in some ways…in a lot of ways…that's why it hurts. The one time I need someone to talk to…when I need someone to tell me that it'll all be fine…that everything's going to be okay in the end…he's gone. And the fact that he's never coming back only makes it worse.

Soon after our lives were somewhat together, I started to develop powers myself. I had soon mastered my strength, speed, and x-ray vision. I was comfortable with my life. I had great friends, great parents, and an all-around good life. But as with all good things…it came to an end.

When I was ten, an alien called General Zod escaped the Phantom Zone and swore revenge on the 'son of Jor-El'. Unfortunately, that's my father. The battle seemed endless. Zod had all his Phantom cronies, and Superman had nobody. Except me. But I knew he would never let me fight with him. And he never did. Even when it seemed like there was no other choice…he forced me to stay safe.

'Protect your mother, Jason,' he told me. 'At all costs.' So I did. But when it looked like Dad had no way to escape, a Kryptonian boy, the son of Zod himself, not much older than me, reopened the portal, sending all of them back to where they were from. Superman tried to save him…but since he was from the Zone, it meant that he had condemned himself to save Earth.

After the short-lived reign of Zod, my father became more determined than ever to protect the citizens of Metropolis…for it was them that had suffered. He threw himself into it, and became increasingly distant. Whenever I wanted to play a game with him, he'd find some excuse to be gone. Mom dedicated herself to reporting, even more so than before. Over the next few years, my friends either abandoned me or moved away. I was alone, or so I felt. But that's nothing compared to what I'm feeling now.

I feel something stirring in me. I'm not sure whether it's anger or hope. I'm sure it's not hope-I gave up on hope in any shape or form a long time ago. But I somehow find it hard to believe that it's anger. I'll get to figuring it out…eventually. Bur not now. Maybe when I find time to actually care.

The world is in mourning. People say that it happens. But how often? How often are the world's idols killed? JFK was assassinated. Princess Diana was killed in a car crash. Even Michael Jackson, for God's sake. We looked to these people to make the world right. And I know they tried. They put their heart and soul into making this world a better place to live-a place that we could be proud of. But they were human. They were extraordinary, true. But 'even the mightiest man may be slain by one arrow'.

Superman was supposed to live forever. I've heard it in his Fortress of Solitude…he was supposed to outlive all of us. He was never meant to sacrifice himself. Not like that. I may not have known him as well as I'd have liked. But I know that he didn't want to go that way. He didn't want to go at all.

But the monster called Doomsday got the best of him. It got the best of all of us. But nobody gave more than he did. That day, November 18, 2016 will forever be a reminder of how much a man can give for those he loves. And for those nameless people who lost their lives to that abomination.

I won't deny my fear when I saw the monster. I was terrified. I had just gotten out of school, and had taken a bus down to the Daily Planet. I felt the ground shake, and all of a sudden…there was chaos. It's hard to explain what happened. All these people were running and screaming…and then I saw a flash of red and blue coming from the Daily Planet, and I knew my father would save us.

I can still hear his yells of agony inside my head. I can nearly feel the pain he went through. Every scar upon his body…appeared twice as bad on me…but not anywhere that you can physically see.

My father was strong. But even Superman has a formidable enemy. He fought Doomsday until the last second. The monster fell. It looked like Superman had saved the day once again…and the world would move on. But no one saw him wave to us, and just fly away. The once strongest man was lying on a pile of rubble in the middle of the street. I knew tears had started to fall from my eyes, by the strange looks I was getting from people.

I looked down, and a lightweight piece of red cloth fluttered down beside my shoe. It was a full minute before I picked it up and realized…it was a piece of my father's cape. I still keep it as the one shred of proof that he actually existed. That I didn't imagine the past ten years of my life. That there was a point in my life that I could be everything I had ever wanted to be.

But as I stand up to speak to the thousands of people at the memorial, I must remember that I was never Superman's son. I never knew him. He never taught me how to fly. He never helped me with my homework. All he ever was to me was the Man of Steel. Metropolis's greatest protector. Untouchable.

I am simply the son of Lois Lane, chosen to speak on her behalf, whose father was killed while reporting on location in Afghanistan. It's hard enough to mourn Clark Kent, my father. To mourn his greater half, the unbeatable half, is close to unbearable.

But the more I think about it, the more I write about it…the more my life seems like it is unbearable to live. I am alone. My father once told me, 'Sometimes you will feel like an outcast. But you will never be alone.' He lied. I'm sure he didn't know what would happen. He didn't know that he was going to die. He was supposed to protect mankind from their own destruction. But how could he?

He couldn't even save himself.

But maybe…just maybe…there's that silver lining. It's just waiting to be discovered. I may never become a star reporter like my mother. I may never become loved by the world like my father. But there is one thing that I know I am. And who I always will be. Who I will remain.

I will remain Jason Jonathan Kent. Forever. I will never be the Man of Steel. I will never be my father. He was too great a man to be replaced. The world will never have another Superman.

But I want you to remember…when you switch on your TV today to watch the memorial in Metropolis Central Park, I don't mean most of the words I'm saying. What I really feel…what he really meant to me…the world can never know. He was so much more than a picture in a newspaper. Though he wasn't one of us…in every way he was. He had human emotions. He felt love, hate and anger, just like all of us. But simply as Jason Kent, I'm not supposed to know that. I want the world to truly know who Superman was.

And that is one thing. He was my father.

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Touching, right? At least I hope so. Anyway, I'm hoping for reviews, so please review. I will hunt you down. Just kidding. But I like reviews, and suggestions. So...yeah.

But thanks for reading anyway-

Jason


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